Searing Ashes
by Crossgap
Summary: Asch thought he was dead in Eldrant, until he woke up to find himself in Misaki City; embroiled in conflict between Flame Haze and tomogara. Convinced that he is still alive, Asch encounters Flame Haze Shana and Mystes Yuji and obtains their help as he struggles to get back to Auldrant, fighting to keep his own existence from being devoured by the tomogara.
1. The Awakening Ashes

**Searing Ashes**

(A Tales of the Abyss & Shakugan no Shana crossover)

**Author's Note: "Ok, this crossover will mainly center around Asch. I hope you will enjoy this crossover to its fullest. ^^"**

**"Abyss wise, the story takes place after Asch's battle with Luke in Eldrant. Shana wise, the story takes place prior to the beginning of Season 2."  
**

"**Disclaimer: Tales of the Abyss belongs to Namco Bandai and Namco Tales Studio. Shakugan no Shana belongs to Yashichiro Takahashi, Noizi Ito, and ASCII Media Works. I do not own anything from both series."**

**"Enjoy!"  
**

* * *

**Prologue:**

"_Well said. I will make these words your last REPLICAAAAAAA!_"

Luke fon Fabre and Asch the Bloody engage themselves in a one-on-one duel to settle who they are on Eldrant. Before long, Asch lost and is forced to acknowledge Luke as the "real" Luke fon Fabre, handing him the Key of Lorelei. Asch allows Luke to escape while he alone attempts to hold back an army of replica soldiers.

"_There's no doubt about it. I am going to disappear soon._"

Realizing his fate, Asch still continues fighting them. He is exhausted, and he was soon stabbed by several swords before wiping out every last soldier.

"_Looks like… I had a little… trouble here._"

Asch slumps beside the wall covered in blood. Soon there was nothing, nothing but complete darkness.

* * *

**Chapter 1 – The Awakening Ashes**

"Heh heh heh… It's up to you replica. I am already dead." Asch thought to himself as his mind was covered in darkness. He was sure he's dead, however Asch could not feel the separation of his fonons. He wondered if this was death; trapped in the veil of darkness forever. Asch continued drifting into nothing.

"Nothing, absolute nothing. So this is where the dead go." As Asch continued to drift in darkness, he felt his mind fading.

Asch slowly opened his eyes, finally glimpsing some light. He found himself in a strange bed in an unfamiliar house.

"What the…." Asch thought to himself. "Is this the next phase of death?"

Asch slowly got up from the bed. He looked around and started touching objects.

"No, everything feels real, like I'm still alive. Is this even possible?"

Asch soon looked out the window. He could see a perfectly blue sky filled with clouds. He was convinced that he was still alive, although he can no longer feel the presence of fonons, or even his replica for the matter.

"I guess someone saved me." He thought to himself. "If so, I better get back to Baticul. I hope that replica killed Van."

Asch walked out into the main room of the house. He saw a woman who is cleaning up the room. She than looked at Asch.

"Oh, you're awake." The woman said smiling. "So how are you feeling?"

Asch hesitated a bit before answering.

"…I'm fine. I'm guessing you are the one who saved me right?"

"Actually, my son Yuji and his friend Shana were the ones who found you." Explained the woman. "You were out cold in front of our doorstep with some serious wounds so we took you in and I patched them up for you."

"What the…" Asch thought to himself. "How did I end up in front of this lady's house? I thought I was injured in Eldrant."

"By the way, my name is Sakai Chigusa." The woman introduced herself with a smile. "And may I ask your name?"

"Luke fon Fabr… I mean, Asch. Where the hell am I anyway?"

"You are in Misaki City." Chigusa answered.

"Misaki City? What are you talking about? There is no such city anywhere on Auldrant."

Chigusa was confused. "Auldrant? I have never heard of such a place."

"What are you, stupid?! What do you mean you never heard of Auldrant? Auldrant is the very world we live in!"

"I think you mistaken the name. The world we live in is Earth."

"Earth? I swear this lady is talking nonsense." Asch thought. "Fine, I'll have to head to Baticul myself."

"Perhaps you still need rest. You are still wounded you know." Chigusa said concerned.

"I'm fine! I can handle things on my own."

"Ok. Please be careful." Chigusa said.

Asch walked back into the room he woke up in. Near the window, he tried to contact Luke via his fon slots.

"Hey, Replica! Can you hear me?"

There was no response. Usually Asch was able to contact Luke anywhere he is but for some reason, he could not contact Luke.

"Damn it! I can't get ahold of that replica. Something is not right. I hope he didn't die on me."

Asch picked up a sword he stole from a replica soldier during his battle, which was beside the bed he slept in. He then looked out the window to see a boy and a girl who appears to be training.

"Was it those two who found me? Maybe they can give me the answers."

Asch steps out of the room and goes outside.

Out on the yard, the girl lashes at the boy with a wooden sword. The boy tries his best to dodge every blow from the girl's practice.

"Shana!" the boy screamed out. "Could you slow down for a moment?! Why are you going all out on me all of a sudden?!"

"You are a fool!" Shana yelled. "How are you supposed to learn full control of the Power of Existence if I go easy on you Yuji?!"

"I know I should learn but is there any reason for you to go all ou…"

Shana strikes Yuji around his legs and knocks him to the ground.

"Itte! That hurt!"

"Looks like you still have a long way to go." Shana sighed.

"_Yuji, the purpose of this training is for you to learn how quickly you react with the enemy. It is a crucial part in learning how to use the full extent of your Power of Existence inside you._" Came a voice from Shana's pendant.

"Sorry! I will try harder next time." Yuji said.

Shana smiled for a bit before saying a word.

"Are you ready?"

Yuji nodded, preparing himself for the next training.

"And how do you suppose you fight someone without a sword?" Asch said to Yuji as he stepped outside.

"_He's awake._"

"I never thought he would come through quickly." Shana said to the pendant.

"_I can feel his Power of Existence, it is different from the rest of the humans around him. Could he be a Flame Haze?_"

"I don't think so Alastor. If he were a Flame Haze, I would have sensed a Crimson Lord as well. He doesn't appear to be a torch or a tomogara either. Although I have to admit, his clothing is rather strange." Shana said.

"Oh good, you're awake." Yuji said in relief. "That was some scare you gave us last night. You should be careful when wandering the streets after sundown."

"He's right. There are a lot of gangs who prey on innocent cosplayers like you." Shana continued.

"Cosplayer?" Asch said confused. "What are you talking about?"

"The clothes you are wearing." Shana pointed out. "It looks like a weird costume."

"I don't recall Misaki City having an anime convention. Did I miss out on what's happening recently?" Yuji wondered.

"Don't make fun of my clothes!" Asch shouted. "They are the symbol of whoever serves the Fon Master and the Order of Lorelei."

"Order of Lorelei?" Yuji wondered again. "I never heard of it. Is it some type of organization?"

Asch facepalmed. "The Order of Lorelei is an order that centers around the Fon Master. Its main headquarters is in Daath. Don't tell me you don't know!"

Shana and Yuji looked at Asch for a few seconds, confused of what Asch is talking about.

"Now you act like you are a cosplayer. This is reality!" Shana said.

"Are you mocking me?!"

Yuji steps in to break up the argument.

"Shana, calm down. Don't forget that he was injured. He's recovering so he probably needs to get his grip on reality again."

Shana remained silent but still gave Asch her signature glare.

"Sorry about that. Shana can be a bit temperamental. Just be careful what you say to her."

"Hmph! This dreck started it!" Asch thought to himself.

"By the way, what is your name and where are you from anyway?" Yuji asked. Asch hesitated before he answered.

"…It's Asch, and I came from Baticul."

"Baticul?"

"Let's just say it's a place, far away from here." Asch said, trying not to confuse Yuji.

"Oh, I get it. Are you visiting Misaki City?"

"…Yeah, you could say that."

"I'm getting nowhere if I continue talking to these two. I may have to return to Baticul myself." Asch thought.

"Alright, I hope you like it here Asch. And please be careful next time." Yuji said

"I don't need dreck like you worrying about me. I can take care of myself!"

"Sheesh, he sure is stubborn." Shana remarked.

"So where are you going?" Yuji asked Asch.

"…I'm going to take a look around. I need to confirm something."

"Ok, just be careful with your wounds."

Without saying a word, Asch left the property.

"He sure has his own way of doing things." Yuji scratched his head.

"Just let him do what he wants. I doubt he will go very far." Shana said

"_However I recommend you keep an eye on him Shana._" Alastor suggested.

"Don't worry Alastor. If he is caught up in a tomogara attack, we would sense it."

"_That's not what I meant. I have suspicions about the one named Asch._"

"Really? What are you suspicious about?" Yuji asked.

"_He acted rather strange. He mentioned the 'Order of Lorelei' and 'Daath'. He also mentioned that he was from a place called 'Baticul'._"

"So what is so strange about it?"

"_Baticul does not exist in this world._"

"What?!"

"What do you mean Alastor?" Shana asked.

"_The Crimson Realm shows no records of a city called Baticul, nor does it show the existence of Daath and the Order of Lorelei. They probably exist in another realm that we never heard about._"

"So are you saying that Asch could be a Flame Haze, or a tomogara?" Yuji asked in shock.

"That shouldn't be possible. I would've sensed him right away if he was either of them." Shana said.

"_Something is not right. He's human but I can sense his Power of Existence is different._"

"So, he's not just a stubborn cosplayer after all." Shana wondered.

"_This is only a suspicion. I cannot confirm yet whether Asch is a Flame Haze or a tomogara._"

"I see! We'll watch him and see what happens. For now, we must continue Yuji's training."

"_Yes._" Alastor agreed.

Shana grabbed her wooden sword and looked at Yuji.

"Are you ready?!"

Yuji nodded. "Ready!"

* * *

In the streets of Misaki City, Asch walked around so he can have a better understanding of his surroundings. The citizens looked at him strangely, but so did Asch as he stared back at the people, wondering if they have never seen an Oracle soldier before.

"This place is strange. The buildings are larger and taller than most structures on Auldrant, and the people here use weird fon machines." Asch thought as he continued walking down the street. "How could something like this exist on Auldrant?"

Asch passed by two girls, who apparently noticed his Oracle outfit.

"Hey look Kazumi-san!" The girl with darker, shorter hair said. "That must be the strangest clothes I have ever seen. *giggles*"

"It is strange Matake-san." Kazumi said. "I wonder if there is a cosplay happening around here?"

Asch overheard the girls and looked to glimpse at them for a brief second before looking away. "These people are strange." He thought.

As Asch continued walking, he started to sense something unusual about Misaki City. He sensed an unusual power around the city that was different from fonons. Asch felt uneasy as he began to sense that there is something missing from the people around him. Some of the people he passed by emitted a strange energy that felt like the fifth fonon.

"Something is not right here." He thought. When Asch began to pass by another woman passing him, he saw flames lit up from the woman as if she was a candle, and then she vanished completely, leaving no trace of ashes.

"What the hell is this?! That woman incinerated!" Asch thought. Asch was even more confused of why the other people didn't seem to notice what happened.

"I…It must have been an illusion." He thought to himself. Asch continued walking until he felt something cold approaching.

"There's definitely something not right here." He said. Asch unsheathed his sword, knowing that there is something sinister that Misaki City is hiding. What happened next caught Asch off-guard.

"**Fuzetsu!**"

All of a sudden, the area around Asch turned dark red, and the people turned colorless and became completely frozen.

"What the hell is this?!" Asch said as he was surprised of what was happening around him. "Did someone use a fonic arte?"

Soon, a figure appeared behind Asch. The figure looked human but Asch could already sense that there was something cold about him.

"What's this? A human that can still move in a Fuzetsu." The figure said as he glared at Asch.

"Who the hell are you?!" Asch demanded.

"Tch! I see no reason to answer you. You must be a Flame Haze or a Mystes if you can move in the Fuzetsu."

"What the hell are you talking about?! Was it Van that sent you here?!"

"ENOUGH! I am running on a tight schedule here, so I will kill you quickly and get back to obtaining Power of Existence!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but if it's a battle you want, then it's a battle you'll get! Bring it on dreck!"

Asch prepped his sword as he began to battle this mysterious being.

**End of Chapter**

* * *

**Author's Note: "Well, I hope you like it! I stayed up very late to finish this. ^^"**


	2. The Ashes and the Flame Haired Hunter

**Searing Ashes**

(A Tales of the Abyss & Shakugan no Shana crossover)

**Chapter 2 – The Ashes and the Flame-Haired Hunter**

Misaki City is covered in the dark-red veil of the Fuzetsu. All humans and torches were completely frozen, left vulnerable to being consumed by the Guze no Tomogara. Shana and Yuji stand in the yard of the house, knowing full well what must be done.

"Yuji! Are you ready?" Shana asked.

Yuji nodded. "Yes! I'm ready to put what I already know to the test."

"_Remember Yuji, you are still in training so stay close to Shana at all costs. You know very well the tomogara are after the Reiji Maigo inside of you._" Alastor warned.

"I know. If worse comes to worse, I will protect myself using this." Yuji said, showing the treasure tool Azure.

Shana smiled a bit before moving on. "Ok! Let's go!"

Two flames appeared behind Shana and manifested into the form of wings. Yuji held tight to Shana as she began to fly towards the battlefield ahead.

"_I can sense Asch. He is not affected by the Fuzetsu._" Alastor thought as the two flew closer to the downtown area.

In another portion of the city, a blond-haired woman wearing glasses, a blue uniform, and carrying a large book takes notice of the surrounding changes.

"Marco, you know what this means do you?" The woman said, appearing to talk to the book.

"_Absolutely my beloved goblet, Margery Daw! Let us inflict more annihilation to those small fries! AHAHAHAHA!_" The book named Marco spoke.

Margery nodded. "Then let's go! I can sense something else here that has engaged the tomogara."

Margery jumps onto Marco who appears to float like a magic carpet. The two flew off into the direction of the conflict.

In the downtown area, Asch battles the tomogara. The red haze of the Fuzetsu didn't faze Asch at all as the environment reminded him of the Qliphoth. Asch makes the first move and runs toward the tomogara.

"**Fang Blade Havoc**!"

The tomogara dodges his arte and moves closer to the sidewalk. Asch's arte leaves a large hole in the street.

"Too slow!" The tomogara smirked. He began absorbing the Power of Existence from the humans around him and began charging up for an attack.

"What the hell did he just do?!" Asch thought as he watched him absorbed the humans.

"Now perish Flame Haze! Power of Unrestraint – go!"

The tomogara fires a barrage of fireballs towards Asch. Asch backsteps out of the way and dodges every fireball.

"His guard is down! Now it's my turn!"

Asch stood still as a strange glyph appeared beneath him.

"**O maddening gale of the spirits of the earth**!** Stalagmite**!"

Below the tomogara's feet, the ground began to crack and sharp, jagged rocks rose. The tomogara jumps out of the way as the rocks covered a large area, piercing some humans in its range.

"You are full of surprises Flame Haze. Unfortunately, I don't have time for surprises."

"Damn it! I have to be careful when using fonic artes or I will end up killing everyone." Asch thought, trying to come up with another strategy.

The tomogara continues attacking with fireballs. Asch dodges, carefully analysing the tomogara's attack patterns.

"He mostly uses fire-based attacks, meaning that he should be weak to water."

Asch stopped and began casting his fonic arte.

"**O frigid blades pour forth**! **Icicle Rain**!"

A barrage of icicles rain down on the tomogara, catching him off-guard and severely wounding him.

"Arrrgh! Not another unrestricted spell!"

"Yes! It worked! Now to finish him off!"

The tomogara staggers before getting back on his feet.

"Grrrr… I will not allow a Flame Haze to dispose of me. Prepare to die!"

The tomogara charges towards Asch.

"You dreck are pathetic!" Asch said as he glared at the charging tomogara.

As the tomogara was about to deliver a fatal blow, Asch went into overlimit. The force of the overlimit knocks the tomogara away and Asch starts running towards him as he got up.

"You're finished!" Asch shouted. The tomogara tries to counter but then a light surrounds Asch.

"**Annihilation**! **Rending Saber**!"

A blast of energy surrounds Asch as the tomogara is engulfed in the field. Then Asch sticks his sword into the ground, unleashing a massive blast of light.

"No… Bel Peol, I have…failed you…"

From a distance, Shana and Yuji glimpse the light that had engulfed the small portion of the downtown area.

"What is going on down there?" Yuji wondered.

"_I feel an immense power being used. I can sense the tomogara fading away from this power._" Alastor said.

"Let's get a closer look!" Shana said as she flew closer.

In the opposite direction, Margery and Marco glimpse the light.

"_I never felt this much Power of Existence being used before. We may be too late._" Marco explained.

"Damn it! Looks like someone already finished it off!" Margery said in frustration.

Back on the street, Asch stares at the dying tomogara. The force from Asch's Mystic Arte caused widespread damage to nearby structures and the frozen humans were covered in blood.

"*cough* Who…are…you?" The tomogara asked in his dying breath. Asch hesitated before answering.

"…My name is Asch! And I am no Flame Haze or whatever you called me, I am a Seventh Fonist!"

"I see… I figured…you were a strange one… Listen fonist, do not think…this is over… Once the tomogara…finds the Reiji Maigo, you will be finished!... Ugh…"

The tomogara disappears into flames. As Asch watches the remaining flames burn out, Shana and Yuji arrive.

Asch turns around to look at them and recognizes who they are.

"Hey, it's you two."

"No way! How can he move in the Fuzetsu?!" Yuji said in shock.

"It shouldn't be possible for him to move. He's just a human." Shana said.

"_It's just as I expected._"

"What are you two talking about?" Asch asked.

Shana's hair turned flame-red as she pulled out her sword; Nietono no Shana and pointed it at Asch.

"What the hell are you dreck?! You're not the same girl as before!"

"URUSAI! URUSAI! URUSAI! I'm the one who should be asking that question! Just what are you and why are you here!?"

"S…Shut up! I asked first!"

The embers from Shana's hair increased as she became more infuriated from Asch's attitude. Without thinking, Shana lashed at Asch.

"Shana, no!" Yuji shouted.

"_Shana, calm down! We have no intention of fighting him!_"

Flames emitted from her sword as she charged at Asch. Asch dodged the attack.

"What the hell is wrong with this city?! There are people trying to kill me here!" Asch thought.

Asch stopped and started casting his fonic arte.

"**O darkened storm cloud, loose thy blade and run mine enemies through**! **Thunder Blade**!"

"Shana, look out!"

A massive blade of lightning forms and fires at Shana. Her hair blazed as she watched the blade drew closer.

"**Hien**! (**Blazing Flame**!)"

Shana unleashes a massive stream of flames from her sword. Both Shana's unrestricted spell and Asch's fonic arte made contact and canceled each other out.

"Looks like this won't go easily. She has some powerful fifth fonon artes." Asch said as he watched Shana counter his fonic arte.

"_That was an unusual unrestricted spell he pulled off. It had power over another element._" Alastor observed.

Before the two resumed their battle, Alastor interrupted.

"_Asch! We have no intention of fighting you! We just want some answers._"

"Who said that?!" Asch said confused.

"_My name is Alastor; the God of Atonement contracted to the Flame-Haired, Burning-Eyed Hunter known as Shana, The girl who stands before you._"

"You introduce yourself without even showing yourself! Where the hell are you?!"

"You Idiot! Alastor is right here, the pendant around my neck!" Shana pointed out.

"S…Shut up! How was I supposed to know dreck!"

"URUSAI! URUSAI! URUSAI!"

"She's really getting on my nerves." Asch thought.

"Look you weird pendant thing, I just want answers to what's going on here. Why have this city turned red and what happened to the people, and who was that freak who absorbed them?"

"_You seem to have no knowledge of the Crimson Realm for a human who can move in the Fuzetsu. Very well, we will explain in due time. Shana! Yuji! You know what to do._"

"Yes!" Both of them nodded.

Yuji used his Power of Existence to restore the damage done by the battle while Shana creates torches to replace the humans who had already been consumed. Asch was surprised to see everything being restored to the way it was.

"Fuzetsu release!"

The red veil was lifted and everything went back to normal.

"It's just as if it never happened." Asch thought. "Did this sort of thing happen on Auldrant before?"

"I'm sorry if this scared you a bit Asch. Let's go back to my house and we will explain everything to you." Yuji said.

"I would like to know who you are and what are you. You don't appear to be a Flame Haze." Shana glared.

Both Shana and Yuji walk back to the house. Asch looks at them for a second.

"These two are not normal." Asch thought to himself. He then followed Shana and Yuji back to the house.

Standing on the roof of a nearby building, Margery watches Shana, Yuji, and Asch leave.

"_Looks like that pipsqueak tsundere beat us to the punch again. This is becoming a real pain for us._" Marco remarked.

"Quite Marco! The one who annihilated the tomogara wasn't Shana this time. I felt the Power of Existence came from that man with long, red hair." Margery said.

"_Hmm? Another Flame Haze perhaps?_"

"No, he is not a Flame Haze but whoever he is, he had no trouble in taking that tomogara on. He used unrestricted spells that I have never seen before."

"_Should be worth investigating this mysterious newcomer, my beautiful scion Margery Daw._"

Margery nodded and headed back down to the streets.

* * *

Back at Yuji's house, Shana and Yuji get settled to explain to Asch about the recent conflict.

"By the way, I forgot to introduce ourselves earlier. My name is Sakai Yuji, and this is Shana the Flame Haze."

"Flame Haze huh? So technically, you have power over fifth fonons." Asch stated.

"Fonons?" Yuji said in confusion.

"If you mean Power of Existence, then yes. My flame abilities derive from my contractor Alastor and they are further enhanced with Nietono no Shana." Shana explained.

"So this 'thing' of yours is where you gather your abilities from."

"Don't call Alastor a 'thing'. He is the powerful god of the Crimson Realm." Shana remarked.

"Oh shut up! It's fine for this pendant freak." Asch remarked back.

Shana glared at Asch once again.

"And what about you?" Asch said to Yuji. "You have the ability to restore damages and make them look like it never happened."

"Oh, yeah. You see, I'm a Mystes. My abilities of restoration are the result of the Reiji Maigo inside of me."

"The Reiji Maigo?"

"It's a powerful treasure tool capable of generating unlimited Power of Existence. Its existence itself is very rare so the tomogara always try to seek it out for their own desires." Shana explained

"I see! If it's that powerful, I'm sure Van and the God Generals would have searched for it to accomplish their vision of a replica world."

"Huh?" Yuji said confused. Even Shana was confused.

"Nevermind." Asch said. "So anyway, Thing! You said you were going to explain what happened earlier because it looks like you three are familiar with what's going on."

"_Very well, what you have witnessed earlier was an attack by the tomogara to gather Power of Existence from Humans._"

"So that freak I killed earlier was one of those tomogara guys?"

"_Correct! This world is interconnected to a parallel realm known as the Crimson Realm. The tomogara from the Crimson Realm seek out Power of Existence so they crossover into this realm to devour the humans. However, this creates imbalance, causing instability to both this realm and the Crimson Realm._"

"The tomogara use an unrestricted spell called a Fuzetsu to dislocate part of this world into the Crimson Realm. Inside the Fuzetsu, time has stopped so any human or animal trapped inside will be affected and will not move; an easy way for the tomogara to consume the humans." Shana continued.

"I see. So that would explain why some of the humans have completely vanished." Asch said surprised.

"_To stop the tomogara and maintain balance, we Crimson Lords made a pact with the humans, becoming Flame Haze. The Flame Haze eliminate the tomogara and restore balance by creating replacements to humans who have lost their existence called 'torches'._"

"They are only temporary though, so torches who were created eventually burn out and fade away forever. I'm a torch myself but because I have the Reiji Maigo inside me, I never burn out. That makes me a Mystes." Yuji explained.

"I see. I'm surprised that these events are not bound to Yulia's Score."

"Yulia's Score?" Yuji said confused again.

"Alright, now it's our turn to do the asking. What are you and how come you were unaffected by the Fuzetsu?" Shana asked.

"Look, I have no idea why I was unaffected by that strange red veil to begin with, but if you want answers, fine!" Asch answered.

"So you're not a Flame Haze?" Yuji asked.

"Of course not! I'm not contracted to any 'things' like that girl here!"

Shana glared at Asch again. She felt like saying something but she decided to remain quite as she knew it was pointless to argue. Asch took a deep breath before continuing.

"My real name is Luke fon Fabre. I'm also known as 'The Light of the Sacred Flame' and the scion of Lorelei."

**End of Chapter**


	3. The Ashes among Two Flames

**Searing Ashes**

(A Tales of the Abyss & Shakugan no Shana crossover)

"_What's wrong? You look like you just swallowed a bug… Oh, wait, you always look like that._"

~Jade Curtiss at Asch: Tales of the Abyss

* * *

**Chapter 3 – The Ashes among Two Flames**

"My real name is Luke fon Fabre. I'm also known as 'The Light of the Sacred Flame' and the scion of Lorelei."

"Your name is Luke? But how come you call yourself Asch?" Yuji asked.

"Because I am no longer Luke fon Fabre. My life was taken from me seven years ago by that replica. I am now the leftover ashes of the Sacred Flame."

"I see. I guess it must be hard being forced to live a life that was already taken from you." Yuji sympathised.

"Although I'm not interested to hear your sad stories, I just want straight answers from you." Shana remarked.

"If you shut your mouth for a sec dreck, I will give you answers!" Asch said as he glared intensely at Shana. Shana glared back.

"_First, we need to know where you originated from._" Alastor said.

"I thought I told you earlier that I was from Baticul." Asch answered bluntly.

"_And which realm is Baticul located in?_"

"What are you talking about? Baticul is located on the Aberrian continent west of the Zao Desert. Don't tell me you don't know the capital of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear!"

Both Shana and Yuji were confused of what Asch is saying. To prevent confusion again, Alastor thought of a brilliant question.

"_What is the name of this world?_"

"This is Auldrant of course! Just point Misaki City on the map so I can show you were Baticul is." Asch answered.

"Auldrant?" Both Shana and Yuji said surprised.

"_I see. So that is the realm you originated from._"

"So you were right this entire time Alastor." Shana said.

"To think that there are more realms that exist beyond Earth and the Crimson Realm." Yuji said.

"What are you going on about this time?" Asch asked.

"_I'm sorry to disappoint Asch but you are no longer in the realm of Auldrant anymore. This is the realm of Earth._"

"What! This is complete nonsense!" Asch said in shock.

"This isn't nonsense, Alastor is telling the truth." Shana stated.

"But how could I…"

"If it helps Asch, Misaki City is located just next to Tokyo: The capital of our island country of Japan." Yuji said.

"In other words, even if we showed you Misaki City on the map, you will not find Baticul or any of the locations you know from Auldrant." Shana pointed out.

Asch could not believe the words Shana, Yuji, and Alastor are saying. He went into deep thought for a moment.

"_Since you are from a completely different realm, your Power of Existence does not match that of ours, meaning that the Fuzetsu has no effect on you._" Alastor hypothesized.

"That makes sense. He did mention several terms that we were unfamiliar with such as fonons, Yulia's Score, and Lorelei." Yuji said.

"Hmph! I guess they pay you to be a good listener." Asch remarked Yuji.

"So what are fonons anyway?" Yuji asked.

"…They are elements that make the basis of Auldrant itself. There are seven known fonons: Shadow, Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, Light, and Sound. Smart aleck Tear knows more about them than me."

"So when you mention the 'fifth' fonon, does that mean…"

"It's just as you expect." Asch interrupted Yuji. "The fifth fonon represents fire. And from what I observed in this world so far, the Flame Haze and tomogara all use abilities that resemble the fifth fonon."

"_I see. So your abilities do not use Power of Existence, but rather the fonons from your realm. That would explain your unusual unrestricted spells._"

"They're called artes." Asch corrected Alastor.

"You also said you were the scion of Lorelei? Who or what is Lorelei?" Shana asked.

"Lorelei is the aggregate sentience of the seventh fonon: a special type of fonon that only a few fonists on Auldrant were able to master. I'm the scion because I can use Lorelei's power to create a hyperresonance on my own. Lorelei is also responsible for Yulia's Score, because the Score itself is Lorelei's memory which can predict Auldrant's future."

"Wow!" Yuji said. "So many unbelievable things that we never even heard of."

"So basically, you are not a Flame Haze or a tomogara, but an outsider from a different realm who can use a weird power called fonons." Shana said.

"And here I thought you were a slow-witted girl." Asch remarked.

"URUSAI! URUSAI! URUSAI!"

"_Are you satisfied now Shana? I believe Asch has his reasons for being in Misaki City._"

"I think so too Shana. Asch doesn't appear to be the lying type." Yuji convinced.

"Fine! I just don't like Asch's attitude." Shana said reluctantly.

"Don't worry about Shana too much Asch-san. She is usually stubborn but she is actually a nice girl once you get to know her."

"Right… And what's with the honorific all of a sudden?"

"Oh, it's because I know a lot about you now. It's a custom in Japan." Yuji smiled. "Anyways, I hope you will like it here in Misaki City in the meantime."

"…Thanks, but I don't plan on staying here for very long. I need to get back to Auldrant as soon as possible."

Chigusa enters the room.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Yu-chan and Shana-chan, but mind if I borrow Asch-san for a moment?"

"Oh we don't mind Okasan. You can have him for a bit." Yuji answered.

"Arigato Gozaimasu! I just found some clothes that will fit Asch-san." Chigusa smiled. "Please come with me."

Asch hesitated for a sec and sighed, than he followed Chigusa.

"Yuji, let's continue our training while he's busy." Shana said.

"Uh… Right!" Yuji nodded, than he followed Shana outside.

In the main living room, Asch tries on the clothes Chigusa gave him. After changing, he stepped out so that Chigusa could see his new clothes. Asch is now wearing the same school uniform as Yuji.

"There, isn't that better Asch-san? At least this way, you will fit in much better in Misaki City." Chigusa smiled.

"These clothes are a bit uncomfortable." Asch said as he tugged on the tight collar of his shirt.

"You will get used to it after a while. I think these clothes look better on you than that costume you always wear."

Asch felt embarrassed. To him, his clothes look weird.

"If Natalia, Anise, and the Necromancer sees this, I will receive the worst verbal torture of my life." Asch thought.

* * *

In another portion of Misaki City, the Flame Haze Margery Daw sits on the sofa of a house drinking alcohol. It was already sundown, and two teenagers watch her drink to the point where she was nearly about to pass out.

"There she goes again Keisaku-san." The teen boy with larger build said.

"Doing her favorite routine habits when she is not fighting tomogara. By now you should be used to it Eita-san."

"_Heh heh heh… My Margery always looks beautiful when she is about to sleep like a hungover baby._" Marco said, trying to convince the two that her drinking habit is normal.

"If you say so." Eita scratched his head.

"By the way, there was something on your mind today Marco-san. Did something happen?" Keisaku asked.

"_Oh, that's right. Margery forgot to tell you did she? Margery, be a dear and tell Keisaku and Eita about our strange encounter._"

"Huh… Tell what… You mean…that strange…"

Before Margery could finish, she immediately passes out drunk.

"_Oh, there she goes. Sleeping like a hungover baby._"

"Something strange? Did you encounter anything out-of-the-ordinary?" Eita asked.

"_In fact, we did. We found a strange man with long-red hair who annihilated a tomogara with unusual unrestricted spells. We could not determine if he was a Flame Haze because his Power of Existence felt different._"

"I see. Do you know where this man went now?" Keisaku asked.

"_The good news is that we do. The downside however is that Shana and Yuji found him first and he seems to be co-operating with them. If we tried to interrogate him, he may finish us off just like that tomogara._"

"Idiot Marco!" Margery said as she got up and punched Marco. "Don't say such stupid nonsense!"

"_Ow!_"

Keisaku and Eita watch Margery instantly woke up from her hungover phase. They wondered how she could do that.

"We are going to investigate this newcomer tomorrow. If he decides to put up a fight, I will show him not to mess with us." Margery said.

"I think your both off the mark. I don't think he would attack you if he has already co-operated with Shana and Yuji." Keisaku said.

"That's true." Eita nodded. "How about we help you search for this man?"

"You two have school tomorrow don't you?" Margery asked.

"Umm… Yes, but we…"

"Out of the question!" Margery interrupted Eita.

"But Ane-san…"

"Do you think I would throw you two into a mystery that could cost you your existence? You stay in school while me and Marco do the investigating."

Margery fell asleep once again.

"_Heh heh heh… Margery can be so unpredictable sometimes._"

"I have to agree." Keisaku nodded.

"_How about you two head over to the Haridan tomorrow and search for this newcomer?_"

"But will Margery-san agree with this?" Keisaku asked.

"_Oh, I'm sure she won't mind. (If you like surprising her that is.)_"

* * *

Back at Yuji's house, everyone was asleep. Asch was sleeping in a futon in the main family room. He was tossing and turning, experiencing familiar dreams from his past.

"_No! Let me go! I don't belong here!_"

"Arrrgh…"

"_I need your hyperresonance Luke. Together, we can finally rid this world of the Score._"

"Van…"

"_This replica will suffice. He will take your place as the Light of the Sacred Flame and carry out the Score._"

"Replica…"

In Yuji's room, Shana and Yuji were fast asleep. Alastor can overhear Asch's mumbling about his dream.

"_A life that was taken away and replaced with utter misery._" Alastor thought.

* * *

The next morning, Shana and Yuji got ready to go to school. Chigusa suggested that Asch should come with them for the rest of the day. The three arrive at the grounds of the Misaki Municipal High School.

"So what the hell is this?" Asch asked.

"This is school." Yuji replied. "It's were we go for most of the days."

"So what's the purpose of going to this school?"

"To learn!" Shana pointed out.

"I know that, but to learn what?"

"Everyday knowledge needed for life." Yuji explained.

"That's it? Is that all you do?" Asch said in disappointment.

"Well, did you go to school in Auldrant Asch-san?" Yuji asked.

"…Yeah. I learned and trained in the Order of Lorelei."

"I see. Well at least you can experience what our schools are like." Yuji said in a cheerful disposition.

"Let's go!" Shana said.

Shana and Yuji enter the school. "I can't believe his mother brought me into this mess." Asch thought. He then followed them inside.

From a distance, Eita and Keisaku watch Asch enter the school.

"Is he a new student?" Eita asked.

"I don't think so. He looks too mature to be one of us. Probably 18-years at the least." Keisaku said.

"But wait a minute, he has long, red hair. Could he be this newcomer Marco-san mentioned?"

"I'm not sure. It's best that we keep an eye on him just in case. We will let Margery-san know if he is the one."

Eita nodded as the two are about to enter the school.

Inside the school, Shana and Yuji get settled in their classroom. Asch hesitated for a bit before he entered.

"Ah, you must be the temporary student Asch." The teacher in the class said.

"What? How did you know my name?"

"Mrs. Sakai called to inform me of a temporary student named Asch. Come, please have a seat. Choose any you like."

"What is Yuji's mother thinking?!" Asch thought.

Asch saw three empty seats left available. Asch chose the seat beside the window and sat down.

"Hey, Kazumi-san!" Matake whispered. "Isn't he the cosplayer we saw yesterday?"

"I think he is. What is he doing in our class?" Kazumi whispered back.

"So, he's in our class." Eita whispered to Keisaku.

Asch noticed that a few students were staring at him. "What the hell are they staring at me for?" Asch thought.

"I would like your attention class please." The teacher said.

"Hai! Sensei!" The class responded.

"I would like to introduce our temporary student from the Sakai residence. His name is Asch and he will be with us for a couple of days."

Asch didn't say a word. He mostly glared at the students who looked at him.

"Asch? That's a weird name." Keisaku whispered to Eita.

"It almost sounds like something off a JRPG." Eita whispered back.

"He doesn't look like a member of the Sakai family." Matake whispered to Kazumi.

"Your right Matake-san. The Sakais are known for their dark-brown hair. His hair is red." Kazumi whispered back.

Just then, a voice interrupts the class.

"Sorry I'm late. I got hung up by the traffic."

A student with jagged, green hair steps in.

"There's Kaito-san again. This is the second time he's late." Eita whispered to Keisaku.

"Ah, Arai. You were only a few minutes late but your just in time to greet our new temporary student." The teacher explains.

"My apologies Sensei. I, Arai Kaito, will try not to be late again."

Asch takes notice of the student's features. He recognizes the student's slim build and green hair.

"Sync the Tempest! What the hell is he doing here?!" Asch thought.

"Ohayo, Kaito-kun." Kazumi greeted the student named Kaito. "Are you liking our school?"

"More or less, Ok." Kaito said with his calm mood.

"I see he's as calm as ever." Shana said to Yuji.

"Yeah. He's been here for a week so I guess he's used to the school system now." Yuji said.

Kaito then heads to his seat. As he passed by Asch, he immediately got up and grabbed Kaito by his collar. The class looked at Asch with shock.

"Asch-san!" Yuji shouted.

"What are you doing?!" The teacher said.

"What are you doing here Sync?! You think you can fool the whole class into thinking you're one of them?!" Asch said angrily.

"Hey, hands off! My name is Kaito!"

Shana got up and was about to break Asch and Kaito up.

"You idiot!" Shana shouted.

**End of Chapter**

* * *

**Author's Note: "Yeah, I know the introduction to Sync was a bit sloppy but at least it will all work out in later chapters. ^^"**


	4. Adjusting to the World of Flames

**Searing Ashes**

(A Tales of the Abyss & Shakugan no Shana crossover)

**Chapter 4 – Adjusting to the World of Flames**

Asch's first day at school already took a turn for the worst when he noticed a green-haired student named Arai Kaito walk into the classroom. Thinking that Kaito is the God General Sync, Asch grabs Kaito by his collar. Shana immediately got up to break the fight.

"Let me go! I didn't do anything to you!" Kaito said as he struggled.

"Heh! Don't make me laugh! You already caused enough trouble trying to accomplish Van's vision you pathetic reject!" Asch said angrily.

"Do you have a screw loose or something? I don't even know you and already, I find you an idiot." Kaito pointed out.

"That's because he is an idiot." Shana said to Kaito.

"S…Shut up!"

With an intense look in her eyes, Shana kicked Asch in the stomach. The force of the kick causes Asch to release his grip on Kaito.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"Call that your first lesson!" Shana remarked.

"Arigato Hirai." The teacher commented Shana for stopping the argument. Shana then returned to her seat.

"This is my second week here, and the last thing I don't want is to be pulverized by some stranger. Learn to behave." Kaito said to Asch.

Kaito then took a seat directly behind Asch. All Asch could do was look at him for a brief second before turning away.

"You may have this class fooled, but I'm not going to fall for your little game Sync!" Asch thought.

"I can't believe he acted like that in public. It's embarrassing!" Shana said.

"_Perhaps, he's unfamiliar with the school regulations of this realm._" Alastor said to Shana.

"You think so, or maybe the realm of Auldrant is more barbaric than we thought." Shana wondered.

"_Hmm…_"

"Asch-san, you have to be careful. Actions like that can get you in trouble here." Yuji whispered.

"Hmph, Whatever." Asch remarked.

Yuji then looked at Kazumi, thinking that she may be frightened from Asch's act.

"Please don't worry Yoshida-san. Asch-san is just not used to the system here. He's actually nice when you get to know him"

"Ok, Sakai-kun." Kazumi nodded, and then smiled.

* * *

As timed passed and the day went on, the class went outside for physical education. The class was ready for running exercises out on the school's field.

"Finally, at least something decent for once. I was getting tired of sitting and writing for two straight hours." Asch said.

"I guess you never wrote on Auldrant?" Yuji asked.

"No, it's because I can't understand the writing system here. I had to write everything in my fonic language." Asch said as he showed his sheet. Both Shana and Yuji looked at the writing.

"Music notes?" Shana and Yuji said surprised.

"_Perhaps the people of Auldrant based their customs on Music._" Alastor hypothesized.

"You three, it's time for the running exercise!" The teacher yelled.

"Let's go Asch-san." Yuji said as he ran to aligned himself with the group. Shana followed.

"Is this some sort of race?" Asch thought in his head. He then proceeded to align himself with the group on the track. The order of the alignment from left to right was Yuji, Keisaku, Eita, Shana, and Asch. Asch noticed that Shana was the only girl participating in the first group.

"How come this girl is racing with the boys?" Asch thought.

The teacher raised his flag and shouted "Ready?!" as the four students and Asch got ready to run. Shana gave Asch an intimidating glare before the exercise began.

"GO!"

As quickly as it started, Shana immediately ran passed all four in a blink of an eye. "What the hell?!" Asch said in shock to see Shana, the only girl, overcoming the boys. The other students were unfazed by Shana's surprising speed.

"That's it! I'm not going to let this dreck win and show me off!" Asch said. He began to increase speed and soon, he was neck-and-neck with Shana. The other students were surprised that Asch caught up to Shana.

"No way!" Yuji thought to himself.

"Look how fast he's going… Huff…huff…" Eita said to Keisaku.

"Only Flame Haze have that sort of stamina to keep going like this. Asch just overtook Shana like she was nothing… Huff…huff…" Keisaku said back.

"Let's sneak over to the Haridan after this. He's got to be the one Marco-san was talking about… Huff…huff…" Eita said. Keisaku nodded as they continue to run.

Asch and Shana continue down the track with the other three left behind.

"_Asch! Control your fonon usage! The Fuzetsu is not casted!_" Alastor shouted.

"Shut up Thing! I can't let this girl make a fool out of me!"

"_You can't just use fonons when the humans of this realm are active! Shana is running this exercise with just stamina alone!_"

"Don't bother Alastor. He's too stubborn to listen. If he wants a race, then I won't lose to him!" Shana said.

Alastor sighed as the two picked up speed and begun the second lap around the track. Matake, Kazumi, Kaito, and the student with glasses watched the ongoing race.

"Ike-kun, Asch is very fast." Kazumi said to the student with glasses.

"I know. Up until this point, no one could beat Shana at a race. Asch has a lot of stamina to keep up." Ike said.

"Hah! These two are nothing. I bet I can beat them in a race." Kaito stated.

"You think so Kaito-san?" Matake said.

"Can you really run that fast Kaito-kun?" Kazumi asked.

"Where I come from, I'm known for being swift and fast on my feet." Kaito stated once again.

"I guess there's only one way to find out then." Ike said as he pushed his glasses.

Kaito smirked at Ike before turning his attention back at the race. He then shifted his attention towards Yuji.

"Just a little more time." Kaito thought.

It was the final lap of the race, and Shana and Asch are about to cross the finish line.

"I'm going to win this!" Asch thought.

"I won't lose!" Shana thought.

Both Shana and Asch cross the line. To the other students, it appeared to be a draw but Asch and Shana didn't think so.

"Hah! You lose dreck!" Asch gloated.

"No, I win! You stumbled right before you crossed the line!" Shana argued.

"…Shut up! That hair length of yours was weighing you down!"

"URUSAI! URUSAI! URUSAI! You're running was sloppy!"

"Ok, that's enough you two. It doesn't matter who wins or loses." The teacher said as he broke up the argument.

Yuji, Keisaku, and Eita cross the line. Yuji then approaches Asch and Shana.

"Wow Asch-san, you were amazing. I never thought you could run this fast." Yuji complimented.

"Hmph! I just know I beat this girl." Asch said as he glared at Shana.

"You are a fool! I obviously won the race." Shana stated, then walked away.

"Ha ha…" Yuji scratched his head as he watched Shana and Asch. "They both possess some great stamina in them." He thought.

As the next group was about to start the exercise, Keisaku and Eita moved out of the track, completely out of breath.

"Quickly, let's sneak over to the Haridan…" Keisaku said.

"Hai…" Eita nodded. The two of them start leaving the school grounds.

Shana sat on the bench and started eating her favorite treat; melon bread while Asch leaned over at a nearby tree staring at Kaito; who Asch thinks is Sync the Tempest. Alastor glimpsed at Asch for a brief second.

"_Asch's own stubbornness will complicate situations in the future. He has to learn not to use fonons outside of the Fuzetsu._" Alastor thought.

* * *

In downtown Misaki City near the Daitetsu suspension bridge, Margery and Marco walk down the streets searching for the 'newcomer' Asch. She was suffering from a morning after state for drinking too much alcohol.

"Itte… My head…"

"_Feeling like your brain is being stabbed by a thousand needles again. You should've stayed and rest in your own wonderland of booze. Hahaha!_"

Margery punched Marco again.

"_Ow!_"

"Quiet! I won't let this stabbing pain keep me from searching for this person." Margery stated.

"_Should you go to Shana and Yuji? They are the ones who found him after all._"

"Idiot, they are at school, and I doubt this person would follow them to school since he appeared to be the type that does things alone."

Just as Margery was walking, she notices a woman with pink hair and wearing a maid outfit standing in front of her. The woman's expression appeared stoic.

"Wilhelmina and Tiamat."

"_The Manipulator of Objects and the Crown of Fantasies, what brings you here?_" Marco asked.

"The same situation you are in Interpreter of Condolence. We are searching for the source of the unusual Power of Existence. ~de arimasu" Wilhelmina explains.

"I see. You must've sensed it as well." Margery said.

"Yes, it was a large concentration of power being used in Misaki City that annihilated a tomogara. We have set out to search for the person who used it. ~de arimasu"

"_Proceeding…_" Tiamat said monotony.

"_Well you're in luck. The identity of the newcomer is a man with long-red hair. Shana and Yuji have already found him but since these two are at school, the man maybe wandering the city elsewhere._" Marco explained.

"I see. I will keep a lookout for him. ~de arimasu"

"Could he possibly be a member of Outlaw?" Margery asked.

"No. There were no reports of a man with such identity in Outlaw. ~de arimasu"

"_Insufficient…_"

"*sigh* I wonder what the hell he is? He couldn't possibly be a Flame Haze or a Mystes." Margery said.

"_All we know is that he isn't a tomogara. Tomogara don't go against their own kind, and we didn't sense him consuming Power of Existence._"

Meanwhile at the abandoned department store, Keisaku and Eita arrive at the Haridan. They begin searching for an unusual sighting that represents Asch.

"Find anything around the school?" Keisaku asked as he searched.

"What the…" Eita said when he spotted something. "A gold-colored flame, and it's giving off unusual embers and light."

"A gold-colored flame? Could this be Asch?"

"There's no doubt about it Keisaku-san. Every human and torch gives off a blue light, this flickering gold-flame has to be Asch."

"Let's tell Margery-san immediately!" Keisaku grabbed Margery's communication bookmarks.

Back on the street, Margery's bookmark gave off a light.

"_Heh heh heh… Looks like Keisaku and Eita are about to give you some useful information, my eternal beauty Margery Daw._"

"*sigh* Why now of all times? I thought they should be in school."

Margery grabs her bookmark.

"What is it now Keisaku and Eita? Confirm your positions."

"Margery-san, we are at the Haridan; not far from where you are standing." Keisaku said.

"What are you doing there? Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Margery-san, this is important to know. The man with long-red hair showed up at our school. His name is Asch, and he is giving off a gold-colored flame on the Haridan."

"A gold-colored flame? Asch? ~de arimasu"

"Tell me, did this man show up with Shana and Yuji?"

"Hai Ane-san! He was new to the school." Eita explained.

"So he did follow them." Margery said in disbelief.

"_Looks like you were off-key, my drunken rabbit Margery Daw. Hahahaha!_"

"Quiet!" Margery punched Marco again.

"_Ow!_"

"You can proceed to capture him after school is over." Keisaku said.

"Thank you Keisaku and Eita. I will be waiting for him outside of the school grounds." Margery said as she put away her bookmark.

"Let's prepare an ambush so he doesn't get a chance to fight back."

"Understood." Wilhelmina nodded. "Proceeding with capture of the one named Asch. ~de arimasu"

"_Begin…_"

* * *

As time passed, school was eventually over and Shana, Yuji, and Asch were preparing to head back home. Asch was still suspicious about the student named Kaito and he had flashbacks of Sync whenever he looked at him. Asch pushed the thought out of his head as he regrouped with Shana and Yuji outside the front door.

"Ugh… How can you two manage to get through school like this? All you do is sit down and write for a majority of the day." Asch complained.

"I see fonists lack the ability to learn properly like the rest of the humans." Shana mocked Asch.

"…Shut up dreck!"

"I see Shana and Asch-san are still upset about the race." Yuji thought.

"Anyway Asch-san, we don't usually stay in school for all the time. If a Fuzetsu is casted and there is a tomogara, we have to hunt it down no matter what." Yuji said to Asch.

"_Asch, I should talk to you about your usage of your own fonons. You need to suppress them and avoid using them outside the Fuzetsu._"

"Does it matter Thing? I'm a Seventh Fonist, I can use fonons whenever I want." Asch stated.

"_It does matter Asch. You used a small concentration of fonons during the exercise. We can't let the humans know about Flame Haze and tomogara so you need to suppress your fonons until you are inside the Fuzetsu. Understand?_"

"Are you serious? Ugh…fine, if it pleases you Thing then I won't use fonons in public." Asch said in disappointment.

"Stubborn idiot!" Shana mocked Asch again.

Just as the three left the grounds, the Fuzetsu was casted and the area turned dark-red once again.

"…How ironic." Asch said as he pulled out his sword. "Perhaps now I can use some of my fonons to kill off some tomogara."

"Wait, I sense no tomogara. This Fuzetsu was casted by a Flame Haze." Shana said.

"But who?" Yuji wondered.

"_The Manipulator of Objects and the Interpreter of Condolence are at close proximity._" Alastor said.

"Margery and Wilhelmina." Yuji thought.

Suddenly, several ribbons surround Asch and tied his arms to his body.

"What the hell?!" Asch said as he struggled to break free from the ribbons. Wilhelmina appeared in front of Asch.

"Capture complete! ~de arimasu"

"Who the hell are you?!" Asch asked.

"Wilhelmina, you're back!" Shana said.

Margery appears next to Wilhelmina and takes a look at Asch.

"So you're the mysterious person who appeared in Misaki City and used some unusual unrestricted spells to annihilate a tomogara." Margery said as she examined Asch.

"_Margery and Wilhelmina, what is the meaning of this?_" Alastor asked.

"We need to capture the one who emitted an unusual Power of Existence; the one by the name of Asch. ~de arimasu"

"How did you know my name?" Asch struggled.

"You're not going to harm Asch-san are you?" Yuji asked.

"Relax, we're just bringing him to the Satou residence for interrogation. We won't harm him." Margery said.

"_Assuming he doesn't resist. Hahahaha!_"

"Another talking object. Just what the hell are these things?" Asch thought.

"Let's leave Asch to Margery and Wilhelmina for now." Shana said.

"Are you sure it is ok?" Yuji said.

"Yes. At least this way, the stubborn idiot will learn to behave." Shana stated.

"_Very well, I can allow interrogation._" Alastor agreed.

"You two, come with us. You seem to know a lot about this person. Maybe he will co-operate with you around." Margery said, looking at Asch.

"Heh! Yeah right, like I co-operate with that Flame Haze dreck!"

"URUSAI! URUSAI! URUSAI!"

"Let us proceed. ~de arimasu"

The group heads over to the Satou residence with Asch for interrogation.

**End of Chapter**

* * *

**Author's Note: "I had to end the chapter at this point because I was experiencing writer's block. I will continue the story once I have fresh ideas back in my head. Also, I apologize for some spelling mistakes in the previous chapters. ^^"**


	5. The Arising Danger

**Searing Ashes**

(A Tales of the Abyss & Shakugan no Shana crossover)

**Chapter 5 – The Arising Danger**

Asch was taken to the Satou residence by Margery Daw and Wilhelmina Carmel for interrogation, Shana and Yuji followed. At the residence, Asch was sitting on the couch with ribbons still tied to his arms.

"Hey maid, is there any reason to keep me tied up?!"

"I am just taking precautions to ensure no resistance. ~de arimasu"

"_Futile…_"

"Sheesh! You're making it sound like I'm some wanted person or something." Asch remarked.

"So, even this maid has a talking object. Do all Flame Haze contain inanimate freaks?" Asch thought to himself in response to Tiamat.

Margery enters the main living room with Keisaku and Eita. Shana and Yuji sit quietly on the floor as the blonde Flame Haze approached Asch.

"Now, shall we begin?" Margery said, hoping that Asch would co-operate.

"…Alright, fine! Let's get this over-with already!"

"_Heh heh heh… So stubborn and impatient are you, just like that pipsqueak tsundere._" Marco stated.

"Don't compare me to that idiot Fangs of Violation!" Shana shouted.

"_Hahahaha! But it's true. You and this Asch guy seem to have similar attitudes…_"

Margery punched Marco yet again.

"_Ow!_"

"Idiot Marco! Learn to keep your trap shut when you're not needed!" Margery said angrily. "Now then, moving on…"

Margery casts a Fuzetsu and the whole room turned dark-red. Keisaku and Eita were surrounded by a circle of glyphs which enables them to move within the Fuzetsu.

"Why did you cast the Fuzetsu?" Yuji asked.

"So that Keisaku and Eita here can see for themselves of what we are dealing with. As you can see, Asch is not a Flame Haze or a Mystes but somehow, he can move in the Fuzetsu."

"To think that even a human could move in the Fuzetsu without any treasure tools." Keisaku said.

"Hey wait, I remember seeing you two at the school. Were you spying on me this whole time?!" Asch shouted.

"Uhh… No, I mean… Well, you see…" Eita stuttered nervously.

"Quiet Eita! You can leave that matter to me later. Let's just move on with the interrogation." Margery said as she looked at Asch.

"First, tell me about yourself. We need to know what you are."

Asch sighed, then he gave Margery the rundown of himself and his abilities just like he did with Shana and Yuji.

"I see. So you're a Seventh Fonist who can perform unrestricted spells with a power called fonons. You originate from a realm called Auldrant and you go by the title: The Light of the Sacred Flame. How interesting, if that was true." Margery said.

"_Interpreter of Condolence, Asch is stating the truth._" Alastor said to Margery.

"If so, then how did you come to our world and what is your purpose?" Margery asked.

"I have no idea. All I remember is dying." Asch answered.

"Dying?" Yuji wondered.

"Look, I got dragged into this Flame Haze/tomogara nonsense by accident. All I want is to return to Auldrant."

"I see. I guess I can trust you now a bit since you don't appear to be an enemy. Wilhelmina, untie him."

"Yes. ~de arimasu"

Wilhelmina releases the ribbons from Asch and Margery releases the Fuzetsu.

"Finally! I was getting tired of this." Asch remarked.

"We apologize for what we did to you Asch but we just needed to confirm some things. Can you forgive us?" Eita said.

"…Fine! I have other things to do anyway."

"Oh, if you don't mind Keisaku-san but I need to borrow your phone for a moment. I need to let Okasan know that we will be a bit late." Yuji said.

"Alright Yuji-san." Keisaku nodded. Yuji then picks up the phone to call Chigusa.

"Just one more question Asch. What treasure tools do you use?" Margery asked.

"What are you talking about? I don't use treasure tools."

"Asch is from another realm. He couldn't have used or possessed any treasure tools." Shana pointed out.

"Well, he had to use something to enhance his abilities. Did you use some type of weapon back in your realm Asch?"

Asch went into deep thought. He remembered Shana mentioning the powerful sword Nietono no Shana enhancing her abilities. A memory struck him and Asch got his answer.

"Well there is one weapon I used that you could describe as a treasure tool. It's the Key of Lorelei and it can gather a large amount of seventh fonons. Its full potential is unlocked when combined with the Jewel of Lorelei."

"_I see. And my guess is that you no longer possess the Key of Lorelei correct?_" Alastor said.

Asch nodded. "You're very smart Thing. I gave the Key of Lorelei to my replica so he could use it to free Lorelei…"

"_HAHAHAHAHA! Asch called the Flame of Heaven a 'Thing'! He's got some nerve to call the god of the Crimson Realm such a low title. HAHAHAHAHA!_" Marco busted out laughing.

"Hey, you're no different from the pendant! You're a Thing too you talking book freak!" Asch remarked.

"_Shithead! I am the Fangs of Violation and I will tear you to shreds for calling me such names…_"

*punch*

"_Ow!_"

"How many times do I have to tell you to keep your trap shut if you're going to be just plain annoying!" Margery said angrily to Marco.

"Anyway, bottom line is that I don't have the Key of Lorelei anymore. It's still on Auldrant."

"But you can still manage your abilities without the key?" Keisaku wondered.

"…Yeah. I wouldn't have made it this far if I had relied on it alone."

Yuji returned from his phone call home.

"Arigato Keisaku-san!" Yuji bowed.

"It's no problem Yuji-san." Keisaku bowed back, and then smiled.

"Now Mystes, I should warn you about the approaching danger. ~de arimasu"

"What is it Wilhelmina-san?" Yuji asked.

"Everyone, including Asch, head closely to what I am about to say. Due to unusual happenings reported by Outlaw, Bal Masque has begun making their move again. ~de arimasu"

"This can't be true! How can they recover so quickly after Tenpa Jyousai?!" Shana worried.

"Wait, hold on! Who the hell is Bal Masque?" Asch asked.

"_A massive army comprising of some of the Crimson Realm's most notorious tomogara. The most feared among them are three known tomogara: The Arbiter of Reverse Reasoning; Bel Peol, Metamorphosis; Sydonay, and The Master Throne; Hecate. The three of them form the Trinity of Bal Masque and command the army into numerous conflicts._" Alastor explained.

"Heh… They can't be as worse as the God Generals I have faced." Asch commented.

"The God Generals?" Yuji thought.

"Trust me, you have no idea just how deadly Bal Masque is!" Shana glared at Asch. "They are after the Reiji Maigo inside my Yuji!"

"Your Yuji?" Asch wondered. Both Shana and Yuji blushed at each other before turning away.

"_At any rate, we don't know what Bal Masque is planning to do with the Reiji Maigo but it isn't anything good. We have to stop them and protect Yuji at all costs._" Alastor said.

"Heh, sounds to me like Bal Masque are pathetic weaklings. I bet I can kill the Trinity in one shot!" Asch stated.

"_Overconfident, are you fonist? Well if you want to die that badly, that's your decision._" Marco remarked.

"Don't get me wrong. Just because I will face Bal Masque doesn't mean I will join your conflict or protect Yuji, I'm only doing it so I could get back to Auldrant. I'm facing them for my own sake."

"_I see, if that is your final decision than we won't stop you. However, do not underestimate Bel Peol and Sydonay._" Alastor warned.

"Don't worry! If worse comes to worse, I will use my hyperresonance as a last resort and finish them off. If there is one thing Bal Masque doesn't count on, it's the seventh fonon."

"Proceed with caution and be prepared for battle at any time. ~de arimasu"

The others agreed as Shana, Yuji, Asch, and Wilhelmina are about to leave the residence.

Meanwhile, outside the residence, Kaito stands beside the window overhearing the conversation.

"Damn it! Bal Masque is already making their move. I better seize the Reiji Maigo quickly before they do." Kaito said to himself.

* * *

-Unknown Location-

There was nothing but dark sky, and hidden behind the clouds of this eerie atmosphere lies what some would describe as a floating island. On this island are several structures that resemble a castle but it appears to be heavily damaged, as if it had seen better days before. Through the dark corridors of the island castle stand three dark figures hidden among the shadows. One figure is a well-built man who appears to have grey hair, wears sunglasses, and wears a suit as if he was a secret agent. Another figure is a woman with a goth-like appearance, wears an eye patch over her right eye, and strangely enough, there is a third eye on her forehead. The last figure appears to be a young priestess who sits on the floor and prays. These three figures form the Trinity of Bal Masque; Sydonay, Bel Peol, and Hecate.

"I never thought we would return to the Maelstrom of Warfare so soon." Sydonay smirked while casually smoking a cigarette.

"We had no choice in the matter." Bel Peol explained. "The Seirei-den may have been heavily damaged by the Tenpa Jyousai, but we had to move quickly after the actions of a strange human attracted the attention of Outlaw. We would have been found if we stayed."

"Well as long as the repairs run smoothly, I guess I can't complain. I just want to see my Hecate satisfied. As long as she is satisfied, so am I."

"Sydonay, have you ever heard of a Seventh Fonist?" Bel Peol asked.

"I never heard of such a thing before. Is a Seventh Fonist some type of Flame Haze?"

"Could be yes or no, but one of my tomogara henchmen was hunted down by a mysterious human with unusual powers. Just before my henchman died, the human introduced himself as Asch and he calls himself a Seventh Fonist. He's a mystery of his own."

"Interesting. He could be a rare Flame Haze we have yet to see, or a rare Mystes possessing something powerful."

Hecate stopped praying and stood up from the floor.

"My prayers have been answered. The Reiji Maigo shall lead the way to the God of Creation's wish, for Xanadu." Hecate said monotony.

"We can't afford any mistakes this time. Tell Dantalion to speed up the repairs. The Seirei-den needs to be fully repaired before we can set to capture the Reiji Maigo." Sydonay commanded.

"Understood! I can't wait to see the face of the Flame-Haired Hunter again after a while." Bel Peol smirked.

Sydonay begins to leave the room.

"I'm going to check out this so-called Seventh Fonist named Asch. I might as well have some fun while the Seirei-den gets repaired." Sydonay said as he pushed up his sunglasses.

* * *

-Misaki City-

The next morning, Asch woke up to a burning scent through his nose.

"What the… It smells like something is on fire. It's coming from the kitchen."

Asch quickly got changed and went into the kitchen. As he entered, he saw that the kitchen itself was a mess. There were pots, pans, and food stains everywhere as Asch saw Wilhelmina trying to cook a decent meal.

"What the hell are you trying to do?!" Asch said in shock.

"I am trying to cook breakfast for Shana and the Sakai family. ~de arimasu"

"Well you're obviously not doing a good job maid! The cooks back in Fabre Manor can do better!"

"I am not a maid, I am a Flame Haze. ~de arimasu"

"_Truth in Weakness…_"

"I would hate to have you as my maid back in Baticul." Asch thought as he stood there and watched Wilhelmina try to cook. Chigusa entered to clean up the mess she made.

Shana, Yuji, and Asch walk to school after breakfast.

"Blech… That meal left a bad taste in my mouth." Asch said.

"Wilhelmina was never a good cook to begin with. Back when she trained me, she mostly gave me instant meals to compensate for her awful cooking skills." Shana explained.

"Well I just hope I don't have to eat these bad meals every day. I rather just stick to simple apple gels."

"By the way Asch-san, there was something I would like to ask you about since last night at the Satou residence." Yuji said.

"What is it?"

"I hope I'm not being too rude but could you possibly tell me about the God Generals you mentioned? I'm curious to know who they are."

Asch hesitated for a moment before answering.

"The God Generals were the six executive officers of the Order of Lorelei. In truth, they were actually Van's cold-hearted subordinates who desired to destroy Auldrant because of the Score."

"_Destroy Auldrant?_" Alastor questioned.

"Yes! They planned on replacing the entire planet with replicas through the use of fomicry. They didn't care how many lives have to be sacrificed for their vision to be achieved. There was Sync the Tempest, Arietta the Wild, Legretta the Quick, Largo the Black Lion, and Dist the Reaper. All of them are supposedly dead now but back when they were alive, they were deadly."

"No way…" Yuji thought.

"But you only mentioned five of them. Who's the sixth?" Shana asked.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that question. It's too personal." Asch said.

"…_Now I understand why you call yourself 'Asch'._"

"Did you say something?"

"…_Nothing._"

"SAKAI-KUN!"

The group turned around to see Kazumi waving at them, and then she ran towards the group.

"Ohayo Yoshida-san!" Yuji waved back and smiled.

"Ohayo Gozaimasu!" Kazumi bowed.

Shana notices a gift in Kazumi's bag.

"So you're not showing any signs of giving up are you?!" Shana said.

"Ie! I'm going to keep trying until I finally win Sakai-kun's heart!" Kazumi said in determination.

"Just you wait! I won't lose to you!"

Yuji blushes in embarrassment while Asch watches the two girls fight.

"A love triangle huh?" Asch thought to himself.

Kazumi then slowly approaches Asch and introduces herself.

"Umm… Hajimemashite! My name is Yoshida Kazumi." Kazumi bowed to Asch.

"…My name is Asch. It's…nice to meet you two Kazumi."

"See Yoshida-san, Asch-san is actually very nice once you get to know him." Yuji said.

Asch scratched his head in embarrassment as Kazumi smiles.

"Let's get going. We don't want to be late for school." Yuji said.

"Hai!" Kazumi nodded.

The group continues walking to school. Behind one of the houses, Sydonay carefully keeps an eye on Asch.

"So this is the Seventh Fonist. I never thought he'd be affiliated with the Flame-Haired Hunter and the Reiji Maigo." Sydonay smirked.

* * *

As time passed in the Misaki Municipal High School, Kazumi unveils her delicious homemade puddings to the class during lunch time.

"Wow! Kazumi-san, you never fail to impress everyone with these delicious puddings!" Matake shouted in joy.

"Please enjoy everyone!" Kazumi smiled.

Everyone in the classroom except for Asch and Kaito ate Kazumi's puddings. Shana picked up her pudding and glared at Kazumi.

"Don't think you won Yuji's heart with these! I will bring him something even better!"

Shana then sat quietly in her seat as Kazumi looked at Yuji to see him smiling at her. Kazumi blushed.

"Wow Kazumi-san! You always make these puddings so delicious!" Matake shouted in joy again.

Kazumi smiled at the entire class who appreciated her puddings. She then took two puddings out of her bento and walked to Asch and Kaito.

"Try some Asch-kun and Kaito-kun." Kazumi smiled. Both Asch and Kaito try out Kazumi's puddings.

"Hmm… Not bad. This is actually better than the maid's cooking." Asch complimented.

"I never tried something this good in my life." Kaito complemented.

"Arigato Gozaimasu!" Kazumi smiled again.

"Don't get too confident just because you're in this class Sync!" Asch glared at Kaito.

"Drop the Sync nonsense already kill-for-brains! I thought I told you before that my name is Arai Kaito."

"Hmph!" Asch grunted as he turned away. As Kaito is eating Kazumi's pudding, he carefully watches Yuji.

"Time for me to get involved with you and your friends!" Kaito thought as he smirked.

Asch got up from his seat and started to leave the classroom.

"Asch-san, where are you going?" Yuji asked.

"…I'm going to take a small walk."

"Let that idiot do what he wants." Shana said to Yuji.

Kazumi watches Asch leave the classroom. Without much thought, Kazumi decides to follow Asch.

"Yoshida-san…" Yuji said puzzled as he watched Kazumi leave. Yuji got up and followed Kazumi.

"Yuji, wait!" Shana shouted. Without a response from Yuji, Shana decides to follow him.

"I won't let Yuji choose Kazumi over me!"

Shana storms out of the classroom.

Out on the schoolyard, Asch tries to get the memories of Sync out of his head as he walks around the school.

"Damn it! This Kaito guy is really starting to bug me. He looks like Sync, but could he be really Sync? Has my mind started playing tricks on me because I'm in another world?" Asch thought.

"Asch-kun!"

Asch turns around to see Kazumi following him.

"Huh? Kazumi, why are you following me?"

"I thought that maybe I should get to know you more. You seem to be close friends with Shana-san and Sakai-kun."

"Well I'm not really their friend to begin with. I met them when I was accidently dragged into an incident in this city a few days ago."

"So are you a Flame Haze?" Kazumi asked.

"No, I'm a… Wait, how do you know what's going on here?"

Kazumi showed a red jewel to Asch.

"This treasure tool was given to me by a Flame Haze. It allows me to move in the Fuzetsu." Kazumi explained.

"I see. Well to answer your question, I am not a Flame Haze. I'm a Seventh Fonist."

Yuji shows up behind Asch and Kazumi. Shana arrives shortly afterward.

"Yoshida-san…"

Kazumi looks at Yuji.

"I'm sorry Sakai-kun. I just wanted to know more about Asch-kun."

"_My guess is that you already knew Asch is from another realm Kazumi?_" Alastor said.

"Well I found it strange for him to just show up at our school when our Sensei mentioned he was from the Sakai residence, and during the exercise he ran as fast as Shana-san. I thought maybe he was a Flame Haze. I'm sorry."

"It's ok Yoshida-san." Yuji smiled

Kazumi smiled and blushed at Yuji.

"So you must be the Seventh Fonist named Asch." A voice came from behind the group. The group turned around to see Sydonay approach them.

"*gasp* Bal Masque!" Kazumi said in shock.

"Who the hell are you?!" Asch demanded.

"Allow me to introduce myself Seventh Fonist. My name is Sydonay, the Metamorphosis."

"So you're one of those Bal Masque freaks I heard about!" Asch said angrily.

Shana casts the Fuzetsu and pulls out her sword. Her hair transformed into a blazing-red color.

"I won't let you take Yuji!"

"Heh! I see you are as energetic as ever Flame-Haired Hunter. Unfortunately the Seirei-den is in bad shape so I'm only here to test out this mystery who calls himself a Seventh Fonist." Sydonay smirked.

"So you came here to face me dreck?! Fine by me! I will annihilate Bal Masque with my own two hands!"

Asch unsheathes his sword.

"Show me what you got Seventh Fonist!"

Sydonay transforms into a Chimera-like monster.

"You think you can scare me with that form?! I faced monsters like this back on Auldrant!"

"_Asch, be careful! Sydonay is at his strongest when he's a Manticore!_"

"Well we'll just see about that! Bring it on!"

**End of Chapter**

* * *

**Author's Note: "It took a lot of thought process to develop this chapter so I hope I did good. The battle with Sydonay though will have to wait until the next chapter for cliff-hanging suspense. ^^ I hope you like it."**


	6. Conflagration of the Ashes

**Searing Ashes**

(A Tales of the Abyss & Shakugan no Shana crossover)

**Chapter 6 – Conflagration of the Ashes**

"Show me what you got Seventh Fonist!"

Sydonay transforms into a Chimera-like monster.

"You think you can scare me with that form!? I faced monsters like this back on Auldrant!"

"_Asch, be careful! Sydonay is at his strongest when he's a Manticore!_"

"Well we'll just see about that! Bring it on!"

Sydonay charges at Asch and Shana, and attacks with his razor-sharp claws. Shana jumps out of the way while Asch blocks the attack with his sword. Asch looks at Yuji and the frightened Kazumi while he keeps Sydonay at bay.

"Don't just stand there you two! Go find a place to hide, now!" Asch shouted.

"Let's go Yoshida-san!" Yuji says as he picks up Kazumi and runs toward a safe corner of the wall that borders the school.

Up in the sky, Shana unleashes a barrage of crimson flames at Sydonay. Sydonay blocks the flames with his right arm then Shana proceeds for a direct strike with her sword. Sydonay dodges Shana's direct blow.

"Heh! You left an opening!" Asch smirked as he saw an opportunity to attack Sydonay with his guard down. Asch charges towards Sydonay.

"**Havoc Strike**!"

Asch's arte severs Sydonay's right arm off.

"Is that all Bal Masque has to offer, how pathetic!"

"Idiot! Don't let your guard down against the Trinity!" Shana shouted.

Responding to Shana, Asch turned around to see Sydonay regrow his severed right arm.

"Damn it! He has the ability to regenerate!" Asch said in disappointment.

"I'm impressed Seventh Fonist. Very few Flame Haze have managed to exploit the openings I make, aside from the beautiful assassin Margery Daw that is."

"I'm just getting started you shape-shifting freak!"

"Good! Let's see if you can impress me some more."

Asch prepares himself while Shana looks at Yuji and Kazumi.

"Yuji, catch!"

Shana throws one of Margery's bookmarks and Yuji catches it. The bookmark materializes into a giant broadsword about Yuji's size.

"Huh, Blutsauger? But I'm not ready to fight with this yet!"

"_That may be so, but Shana gave you Blutsauger for you to defend yourself. Use it to protect Kazumi._" Alastor explained.

"Hai!" Yuji nodded. "Yoshida-san, get behind me!"

"Hai Sakai-kun."

Sydonay charges at Asch again, this time circling behind him.

"He's surprisingly fast in that gigantic form." Asch thought. He watches Sydonay close in from behind him and turns around.

"**Guardian Field**!"

Asch draws a circle of light with his sword and forms a protective barrier around him. Sydonay's attack was stopped dead by the barrier.

Shana sees the opportunity to strike and charges at Sydonay with flames emitting from her sword. Shana slashes Sydonay, leaving a large wound in his chest.

"**Swallow Fury**!"

Asch continues with multiple blows from his sword, leaving wounds all over Sydonay's body. Sydonay retreats and moves closer to the school, regenerating his wounds.

"There has to be some way to get around his ability to regenerate." Asch thought.

On the roof of the school, Keisaku and Eita observe the ongoing battle between the Flame Haze, fonist, and tomogara.

"Wow, so this is how a fonist like Asch fights. His abilities are not even tied to Power of Existence." Eita said in amazement.

"Not only that, he's holding up against Margery-san's arch-enemy extremely well. Not many Flame Haze survive a battle with Sydonay unscathed. Asch is something."

Back on the battlefield, Shana charges at Sydonay once again.

"HYAAAAAAAA!"

"Now it's your turn Flame-Haired Hunter!" Sydonay smirked from within his Manticore form. Sydonay fires a barrage of fireballs at Shana.

Shana dodges the incoming fireballs. However, as Shana was about to dodge the next fireball, she failed to notice another fireball coming from behind it and ends up in the path of the incoming fireball.

"_Shana!_"

"Look out dreck!"

The fireball impacts Shana and sends her flying through the school wall and into the building across the street.

"Shana!" Yuji screamed.

Shana staggered to get up on her feet. She was bruised all over her body and her school uniform was tattered.

"Damn it! I was careless!" Shana said in frustration.

"_Be aware of your surroundings Shana. In-sync patterns are very dangerous._"

Shana nodded then ran back to the school to rejoin the battle. "I hope Yuji is ok!" Shana thought.

Asch watches Shana run back into the school grounds.

"That stubborn Flame Haze dreck will only cause further problems. I will finish Sydonay off myself!" Asch thought.

Asch turned around to face Sydonay and began casting his fonic arte.

"Shana-san! Are you ok?" Kazumi asked in concern.

"Yes! I'm just a bit bruised but I will be fine."

"You had me worried there for a second." Yuji said.

"Please don't doubt me Yuji. You have never doubted me before and I want to keep it that way." Shana smiled at Yuji.

"What is Asch-kun doing?" Kazumi wondered.

"_I can feel a surge of fonons running through his body. Asch is about to unleash his technique._" Alastor stated.

A fonic glyph appears beneath Asch.

"**Bring all to ash and ruin**! **Explosion**!"

Without warning, Asch unleashes a massive explosion and Sydonay is engulfed in the expanding fireball. The shockwave from the explosion destroys a large portion of Misaki Municipal High School and sends debris flying in all directions. Everyone watching covers their eyes.

"What the hell is Asch thinking?!" Keisaku wondered.

"No! He'll end up killing Ogata-san with that move!" Eita panicked.

"Calm down, we are inside the Fuzetsu! Any damage done will be repaired!"

Kazumi notices a piece of debris falling in their direction.

"Sakai-kun!"

Yuji jumps into the air and slices the debris piece in half with Blutsauger.

"Arigato Gozaimasu!" Kazumi bowed.

"Is this the true power of a Seventh Fonist?" Yuji wondered.

"_Asch is indeed a force to be reckoned with._" Alastor observed.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Asch can see Sydonay who was changed back into his original tomogara form.

"Such a powerful unrestricted spell. You managed to completely remove my Manticore form." Sydonay said surprised.

"Now that I found a way to keep you from regenerating, it's time for me to end this!" Asch shouted.

"Heh! Don't get to overconfident Seventh Fonist. Now that I know what you are capable of, that unrestricted spell of yours will never work on me twice."

Sydonay changes back into a Manticore.

"So let's settle this once and for all!"

"So be it dreck! It's your funeral!" Asch glared at Sydonay.

"Now we get serious!" Shana said in determination.

Shana sprouts crimson flame wings.

"This will be interesting. Two birds with one stone." Sydonay smirked.

"Don't screw up this time Flame Haze dreck!"

"URUSAI! URUSAI! URUSAI! You worry about yourself!"

Shana charges at Sydonay with inhuman speed. Sydonay flies into the air while dodging Shana's direct blows from her sword.

Shana unleashes a barrage of crimson streams. Sydonay counters the streams with his own fireballs.

"With that Flame Haze keeping him busy, time for me to cast fonic artes!" Asch observed.

Asch starts casting his fonic arte.

"**O darkened storm cloud, loose thy blade and**…"

"Not this time Seventh Fonist!"

Noticing Asch casting, Sydonay shoots a fireball to prevent him from finishing the incantation. The fireball impacts Asch.

"Guaah!"

The impact sends Asch flying to where Yuji and Kazumi are taking cover. The two steps out of Asch's way as he hits the wall.

"Asch-kun, are you alright?" Kazumi said concerned.

Asch staggered to get up on his feet.

"…Damn it! Sydonay now knows the flawed weakness of my fonic artes."

"What do you mean?" Yuji asked.

"On Auldrant, fonic artes aren't just simply casted like unrestricted spells. A fonic arte takes time to cast as the user must finish the full incantation for the arte to work. Enemies can exploit this opening and attack while the user is casting." Asch explained.

"So even though your fonic artes are powerful, they are useless unless the incantation is finished?"

"Exactly! That's why it's important to have someone like that Flame Haze to keep enemies busy while the user is casting."

Asch looks up at Shana who is trying very hard to dodge and counter Sydonay's attacks. Shana continues with a relentless barrage of crimson flames.

"I will protect Yuji! I won't let Bal Masque take him away!" Shana thought with a piercing look in her red eyes.

As Asch watches Shana fight, he then shifted his attention towards the damaged school to notice a red circle left behind by Asch's previous fonic arte.

"A Field-of-Fonons Circle composed of fifth fonons. Perfect, just what I need!" Asch thought.

Asch looked at the FoF Circle, and then looked at Shana. An idea struck his head.

"The Flame-Haired, Burning-Eyed Hunter huh? It just might work, even for a Flame Haze." Asch thought.

"Hey Flame Haze, step into that red circle beside the school!" Asch shouted.

"Huh? Why should I?!" Shana shouted back.

"Your flame abilities will get stronger! Trust me on this!"

"_Follow what Asch has to say Shana. I can feel a concentration of flame power inside that circle._" Alastor said.

With hesitation, Shana leaves the fray of the battle and flies to the FoF Circle.

"Running away Flame-Haired Hunter?" Sydonay wondered.

"I hope that idiot is right about this circle!" Shana thought.

As Shana steps into the FoF Circle, the fifth fonons merge with Shana's Power of Existence and the embers from Shana's hair increased.

"I feel it. I feel the flames reacting inside me."

"_It's just as Asch said. The circle is stirring up power from within us._"

"Now Flame Haze, attack! The power you get from that circle is only temporary!" Asch shouted.

Responding to Asch, Shana's sword emitted into a firestorm and Shana glared at Sydonay. The FoF Circle is absorbed into Shana's body.

"**Hien**! (**Blazing Flame**!)"

With the power of the FoF Circle, Shana unleashes an even powerful stream of flames at Sydonay. Sydonay tries to block but the overwhelming flames is too much for him to handle and impacts him at full force.

"When did she get that sudden boost of Power of Existence?" Sydonay thought as he began to plummet to the ground.

Seeing the opportunity, Asch charges at the falling tomogara. "This ends now!" He shouted.

"**Light Spear Cannon**!"

Asch pierces Sydonay at his chest and sends him flying into the school. The blow causes Sydonay to change back into his tomogara form.

"Unbelievable!" Keisaku said amazed.

"The combined efforts of Shana and Asch were enough to overwhelm Sydonay." Eita said.

"Asch-kun and Shana-san really did it."

"Yeah, I have to train harder if I hope to be as strong as them. I won't give up!" Yuji said.

Sydonay staggers to get up on his feet.

"I'm truly impressed with your efforts Seventh Fonist. You are no doubt a formidable foe worthy of your skills." Sydonay complimented Asch.

"Would you shut up and just die already!" Asch shouted.

"I'm afraid my fun time with you is already over. I don't want to leave my precious Hecate alone with Bel Peol for too long so I'm leaving for now. I look forward to our next encounter Seventh Fonist."

Suddenly, Margery arrives at the school.

"Found you Sydonay!"

"_Prepare to die shithead!_"

Sydonay turns around to see Margery close in on him. "Damn it! This is bad timing!" He said to himself.

Margery transforms into a blue Werewolf and attacks Sydonay with her claws and fireballs. Sydonay dodges her attacks.

"Die! Die! Die!" Margery screams with anger.

"I don't have time to play with you beautiful assassin! I already had enough fun for today!" Sydonay said.

"_That's too bad, because we're just getting started!_"

Margery charges at Sydonay with her claws. Sydonay dodges, not bothering to attack.

"Farewell Flame Haze, and Seventh Fonist. The next time we meet is when we capture the Reiji Maigo."

Sydonay disappears out of plain sight. Margery changes back with frustration.

"Grrrrr! I was so close to killing that bastard!"

"_The pipsqueak tsundere and the stubborn fonist had managed to soften him up too. It would have been an easy kill for us._" Marco stated.

"There's nothing we can do now. We still can't pinpoint the location of the Seirei-den because of that damn Crypta barrier. Let's head back to Keisaku's place."

Margery leaves the school and heads back to the Satou residence in disappointment.

"There goes Ane-san." Eita said.

"Margery-san will never be satisfied until both Sydonay and The Silver are killed." Keisaku stated.

Asch sheathed his sword and sat down on the ground exhausted.

"Heh… It's been a long time since I put this much effort against an enemy. Bal Masque may be even more troublesome than the God Generals."

"Yuji, the Fuzetsu won't hold for very long. We have to repair the school." Shana said.

"Hai!" Yuji nodded. The school gets restored back to the way it was and the Fuzetsu is lifted. Blutsauger turns back into a bookmark and Shana's hair and eyes change back to their original colors.

"Asch-kun, you and Shana-san were amazing. I never thought you were this strong." Kazumi complimented.

"It's mainly because I train daily on Auldrant. Every day for me is like an endless battle." Asch said.

"What enemies do you usually face on Auldrant?" Yuji asked.

"Everything from monsters, bandits, soldiers, to even the supernatural. The tomogara here are no different." Asch answered.

"I see. I'm training myself so I can use my Power of Existence against the tomogara. One day, I will be able to fight alongside you and Shana." Yuji said.

"_By the way Asch, what was that red circle that made Shana stronger?_" Alastor asked. "_You seem to be familiar with them and how they work._"

"That was a Field-of-Fonons Circle. On Auldrant, they enhance the elemental attributes of the user and are created when an elemental arte is used. In Shana's case, the Field-of-Fonons Circle contained fifth fonons so it temporarily increased her flame abilities' strength." Asch explained.

"_I see. Perhaps we can learn this to our advantage against the tomogara._"

"Let's head back into the school." Shana said.

"Hai!" Both Yuji and Kazumi nodded.

* * *

Shana, Yuji, Kazumi, and Asch re-enter the classroom to see the students doing their usual lunch routines. Yuji noticed that Kaito wasn't around.

"Huh? What happened to Kaito?" Yuji wondered.

"I have no clue. He just stormed out of the classroom as if he was in some hurry or something. He didn't even bother to tell us where he was headed." Ike said.

"That's odd." Yuji scratched his head.

"If you were looking for me, I was headed to the washroom." Kaito said as he entered the classroom.

"Well at least tell us where you are headed next time. I was going to ask you something." Ike said.

"Sorry about that, but you know when someone needs to go in a hurry." Kaito said in a calm mood.

"Yeah, I guess that's true." Yuji said.

"That was too close! The Fuzetsu nearly blown my cover." Kaito thought.

"Anyway Kaito-san, I was planning on treating my friends to the Misaki Waterland on Sunday. I've also decided to include you and Asch since you two are new students. Mind if you come along?" Ike asked.

"Sure, I needed some time to refresh myself anyway. School can be sometimes a handful." Kaito answered.

"I'm not interested." Asch overheard.

"Come on Asch-san, the Misaki Waterland is a fun place to go too." Yuji said, trying to convince Asch.

"Yeah, at least have some fun before you leave." Matake convinced.

"Please Asch-kun? Do it for Shana-san and Sakai-kun. They will be there as well." Kazumi said.

"*sigh* Alright, alright! I will join your little parade." Asch said bluntly.

"It's settled then. On Sunday, 12:30 pm, we will all meet in front of the entrance." Ike said.

"Hai!" All of Ike's friends responded.

Shana approached Kazumi.

"This will be our next test to win Yuji's heart. Don't think that just because you have larger breasts than me means that you will win." Shana said in determination.

"Accepted! Let's see who is cuter in a swimsuit." Kazumi responded.

"Let me guess, you set this up for Yoshida-san?" Yuji asked Ike.

"Hai!" Ike nodded. "I needed to take action soon to win Yoshida-san's heart."

"I see. I guess I better start taking action as well." Yuji commented.

* * *

As the school day ended, Shana, Yuji, and Asch walk back home.

"I can't believe your girlfriend dragged me into your friend's mess." Asch complained.

"Well Yoshida-san is not technically my girlfriend yet. I haven't decided." Yuji said.

Overhearing Yuji, Shana began to walk ahead of the group.

"Shana, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing!"

"But Shana…"

"I said it's nothing!"

"Is it because I mentioned Yoshida-san?"

"URUSAI! URUSAI! URUSAI! I don't want to hear another word about Kazumi when I'm around! Now let's go, you still have training to do!"

"Hai… Shana."

"Sheesh! What's her problem?" Asch thought. "She's even worse than Natalia scolding me."

"_Asch, if you don't mind, I would like you to join our training._"

"Why is that Thing?"

"_This is crucial. I think it would benefit us if you teach us Field-of-Fonons._"

"I don't see a reason why. Unlike fonists, Flame Haze are only limited to the fifth fonon." Asch said.

"_Shana would not have overwhelmed Sydonay if it wasn't for your knowledge of Field-of-Fonons. You already saw just how powerful she became after absorbing the fifth fonons from the circle._" Alastor explained.

"*sigh* Fine Thing! If it pleases you than I will teach your Flame Haze about Field-of-Fonons."

"Don't forget to include Yuji as well. He still needs to learn proper control of Power of Existence." Shana pointed out.

"_Yes._"

"I'm prepared for this training!" Yuji said in determination.

The three continued down the street to Yuji's house.

**End of Chapter**

* * *

**Skit: What are Skits?**

Yuji: "Huh? What's this?"

Asch: "I see someone activated a skit."

Yuji: "A skit?"

Asch: "Skits are optional dialogues of characters exclusive to only the Tales of series. They usually involve characters giving additional information about themselves and the world, or just simply made to cause some humor."

Yuji: "I see, but how come I'm involved in this skit?"

Asch: "Beats me! Are there skits in Shakugan no Shana?"

Yuji: "Uh, not that I'm aware of, no. We mostly have fillers."

Shana: "Yuji, what are you doing!? It's time for your training!"

Yuji: "Right away Shana!"

Asch: "I'm surprised Shana didn't even notice this skit."

* * *

**Author's Note: "I thought I add a little skit just for the fun of it. I hope you liked the chapter. ^^"**


End file.
